Improvement in insect-destroying compounds



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. TOTTENHAM, OF SEMPRQNIUS, TEXAS.

IMPROVEMENT IN lNSECT-DESTROYINGCOMPOUNDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 155,174, dated September 22, 1874; application filed May 5, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WM. ToTTnN- HAM, of Sempronius, in the county of Austin and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Compound for Destroying Ants by Fumigation; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a compound for destroying ants by fumigation; and consists of a mixture of sulphur, charcoal, cyanuret of potassium, arsenic, and coal-tar, in about the following proportions:

Charcoal, thirty pounds; sulphur of commerce, forty pounds; cyanuret of potassium, one pound; arsenic or arsenious acid, one pound; coal-tar, sixteen pounds.

I do not confine myself to the proportions above given, but have found them to be very suitable. A

The first four elements named I reduce to coarse powder, and mix them thoroughly with the coal-tar. The mixture is then ready for use by the ordinary methods of fumigat-ing ants under ground or elsewhere.

A good method of using my compound is as follows: Bore a hole with an earth-auger about ten inches in diameter in the center of an antbed, as deep as the lower ant-cells. Then, at

an angle of about thirty degrees, bore a smaller hole to reach to the bottom of the first hole. Into the bottom of the large hole put first a layer of wood, then one of coal, then one of my compound, then another of wood, and another of coal, another of compound, and so on until the hole is filled nearly to the top. Into the small hole is put the fire, and, after it has thoroughly ignited the wood in the bottom of the large hole, insert in the top of the small hole an iron pipe connected with a bellows or other blower, and plug up tightly the tops 01' both holes. Whenthe blower is operated, it both supplies the air necessary to combustion and forces thefumes produced thereby through the antways connecting the cells of the bed. After blowing for a time suitable for the size of the bedsay about half an hour for three to ten acre bedsremove the iron pipe from the small hole, and plug tightly the aperture, in order to confine the fumes. In about hall a day every ant will be destroyed, the the out, and safe to open.

Having now fully described my improved compound, and the method of using it, 1 claim- The improved fumigating compound herein described, consisting of sulphur of commerce, oyanuret of potassium, arsenic, charcoal, and coal-tar, in substantially the proportions given.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own invention I affix hereto my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN WM. TOTTENHAM.

Witnesses:

DANIEL NEVEs, JosEPH P. BOWERS. 

